Alouette
by Infamousplot
Summary: As Neku goes to face the Composer, something goes... wrong. Now he, Shiki, Beat, and Joshua are stuck in a strange world full of disturbing features that only seem to want to kill them. The Game may be over, but the story is far from finished. The ultimate wrench has been thrown into Joshua's plans, and Neku is completely unaware of the Composer's true identity. Canon-divergence AU
1. Prologue- Shibuya

_**Alouette**_

 _Little skylark,_

 _Lovely little skylark,_

 _Little skylark,_

 _I'll pluck your feathers off..._

* * *

x x x

Mr. H appeared before him without much of a warning- a clatter of music, a shower of feathers, the usual shimmer of light -and Joshua went from kicking ass and taking names in Tin Pin to being dragged down the street by the arm. The barista looked old, but his grip was tight, and Joshua had to stumble a few steps to avoid being dragged.

"It's good to see you too," Joshua twisted himself around, trotting impatiently at the Angel's side. "A 'hello' or a 'hi' is usually how people greet those they haven't seen for awhile. Even a simple 'yo' would suffice, if it's from you." What usually passed for snarky banter between the two was nothing more than one-sided bitterness, a cold snap lying beneath the Composer's tone.

Behind him, the children from this plane were watching in confusion, some taking a few hesitant steps in his direction, uncertain what they should do. Blue looked as clueless as ever, but Pink smirked knowingly, pale hair coiled tauntingly around his finger. None of them would follow, Joshua knew, because there was already a Joshua in this world, and one was more than enough.

Finally, Joshua managed to tear his arm from Hanekoma's grip, rubbing the spot where his fingers had dug in.

"Joshua, don't make this a scene." the Angel started, his voice low. Joshua laughed.

"A little late for that, don't you think? You could have at least let me finish my game first." he huffed, arms crossed.

"Not until you finish the first game you started." Mr. H snapped, turning around. "Do you have any clue how much time has passed in our plane?" Joshua frowned, his gaze faltering. Mr. H was surprisingly tense- he hadn't seen him this stressed since his first few weeks as Producer for a homicidal teenager. Reluctant to speak, Joshua shrugged. He wasn't concerned. He hadn't really been thinking about his plane, or anything else that was happening on it.

After a few moments of awkward silence had passed, he realized Mr. H actually expected an answer. Joshua shrugged again.

"A few days?" he replied.

"A week." Mr. H said flatly. Joshua stared at him. His arms slipped back to their natural state, limp at his sides. "Neku is about to go face Megumi. You really oughta show your face, don't you think?" Again, Joshua didn't respond. Mr. H stared back, silent, waiting. At least a minute must have passed before Sanae finally sighed, his face crumpling with exhaustion and defeat. Joshua kept his face straight, struggling not to look away- Mr. H was an Angel, not a babysitter, he didn't need to make this dramatic or personal, it was business and nothing more. Joshua did not want to see him looking like that, so… so despaired.

"Joshua…"

"I didn't say anything," Josh snapped, immediately on the defense, but Sanae wouldn't let him finish.

"You don't need to J. I know you."

A thousand curses and protests screamed through Joshua's mind at that moment, as Mr. H put a hand on his shoulder. It was a warm, a parental gesture meant to be comforting, but right now it was the last thing he wanted. Sanae knew him better than any one in the multiverse, and that still wasn't enough to make him understand, to make him see why Shibuya had to go, why _he_ had to go. _If you really knew me, you would hate me too,_ he wanted to say, but Mr. H just kept on talking, cutting off his trains of thought.

"There's still time, Josh-"

Joshua shot past him like lightning, shoving his hand from his shoulder.

"Let's just go." He walked briskly, trying to compose himself. He didn't know where he thought he was walking, but it didn't make much of a difference. Mr. H had to be the one to take them back to Shibuya -their Shibuya- and he could just as easily do it walking as he could standing in place.

Mr. H sighed softly behind him. Joshua wouldn't have heard it if he hadn't been listening close, making sure the Angel's footsteps were following him. It took a moment before he heard the slap of sandals against the asphalt, and then Sanae's hand was on his shoulder again. This time is was tight, a tether to the universe rather than a loving gesture.

"Alright then. Hold on tight, boss." Mr. H closed his eyes, and the world unraveled rapidly. Joshua instinctively reached for his hand, not wanting to be undone while slipping between planes. Relying only on this form to win had been a mistake, at this weakened state he could easily burn away from existence. He focused on Mr. H's music, then on his own, making sure everything stayed the same as the frequencies switched.

Joshua's body felt like it was asleep, consumed by that fuzzy, numbing feeling that can only be described as static. If each plane was a radio station, then the space between was white noise, vacant lines of static that could not be discerned. When altering one's vibes, it was inevitable that they would pass through here: infinite and sparkling, easily mistaken for the vacuum of space. It was a beautiful void, but a void nonetheless. And from the abyss, monsters would always come.

Something hicupped. The dial was turned too fast, or too slow. Joshua couldn't tell if they had overshot their destination, or missed it completely- he thought he heard Shibuya, notes as familiar as a mother's voice calling out to him, but when he opened his eyes it disappeared.

Harsh, violent light enveloped him, a blood curdling shriek piercing through his head. His brain throbbed against his skull, everything inside of him trying to evacuate, desperate to escape the pain. The song he knew, the chords he'd written himself, everything was a gross parody of itself, out of key and off kilter. It was as if the city had not recognized him- it was rejecting him, refusing him entrance.

"Joshua!" Sanae's voice trickled through the screams of static, and Joshua gripped it like a lifeline. He could feel Mr. H's hand crushing his own, holding tight enough to break his fingers, trying very hard not to let go. His arm felt like it was in another dimension though. He couldn't see anything- just black and white, a blank station on a TV set. It hurt. It hurt so bad and he wanted to let go, use his hands to tear himself apart so he could make it _stop_ , but he had to hold on, Mr. H would never forgive him if he didn't hold on.

His stomach flew up his throat as he plummeted, suddenly, his hand ripping away from Sanae's grip. He tried to shout but all he got was more screaming, a frantic bubble rising from his open mouth. His vibes were slowing rapidly, growing cold, like he was sinking to the bottom of the sea. Mr. H was right there, he could feel his light, but his music was so far away, he would never be able to reach it. He didn't understand. Why hadn't his city let him in? It could have unwritten him at any point during the Game, so why now?

As everything rippled around him, alternating between light and dark at a nauseating pace, he thought he heard Mr. H calling his name. He couldn't be sure though. Everything sounded just like static now…

* * *

x x x

Neku's feet hit the ground hard, and he skidded back a few paces, chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. He didn't know why he tried so hard to keep breathing- he was dead. it wasn't like he needed the oxygen. Beat staggered backwards nearby, his wings barely more than a shadow. His whole body was faint, translucent, like a ghost. Still shaking, Neku swallowed, looking back to the Game Master of the week.

Her wings, long and elegant iron gates, had shattered, falling to the ground in pieces. She screamed, hatred and disdain boiling in her eyes. She was collapsing in on herself, crumpling into a heap of static and shadows. A small pin sailed away from the carnage, skittering across the ground toward Beat. He wasted no time in picking it up, cradling it in his hands like a precious jewel.

"Rhyme!" he choked, staring at the small pink squirrel in a state of awe. "Rhyme, Rhyme… I'm so sorry…" Beat's throat hitched, the smallest of sobs bubbling up, and he clutched the pin close to his face, slumping over with relieved. "I'm never gonna let'chu go again, you hear me?" he voice strained as he grinned down at his sister, tears of happiness streaming down his face. "I'ma get you that second chance, I promise, just you wait!" Neku watched him for a moment, before tugging at his collar, a half-assed attempt at hiding the smile on his face.

The Iron Maiden giggled, suddenly, and Neku's breath caught in his throat. He tensed, grabbing the last pin he'd used and looking back to Konishi. Even as she was fading from existence, she still managed to hold herself above them, an smirk worthy of the Ice Queen still etched into her face.

"What a touching reunion..." she muttered softly, eyes glowing with the last sparks of life. "But I wonder… would your sister do the same for you?" Something in the air changed, an iciness settling in his bones. Konishi had Beat's attention now, though he still held the pin tight. "We took your sister's love for you… as _your_ entry fee."

There it was. Neku watched as Beat froze up, shock overtaking his body.

"What?!" he shouted the word like it was a curse. He was hardly in better shape than Konishi, but he still looked ready to throttle her.

"Her memories were your entry fee. Hers was something else." she chuckled, eyes closing slightly. The light in them was dying, but there was still a cat-like glint in there. With a wicked grin, she added one last piece: "You must not have been very dear to her…"

At that, Beat looked like he'd just been slapped. He recoiled, gripping his arm- closing himself off without even thinking about it. Neku turned back to the witch, shaking hard. He would have punched her himself, if she had had anything of a solid form left. She was a silhouette now, dwindling back into the background. Her giggle was just a whisper.

"That look on your face… it's just as I… predicted…" The voice lasted a moment beyond the body, trailing off into silence. They had defeated her, but the look on her face in her last moments was that of the victor.

Somehow, the sewer got even colder, as Konishi finally disappeared. They had defeated her, but the look on her face in her last moments was that of a victor.

Carefully, Neku looked at Beat. Big tears still rolled down his cheeks, but Neku couldn't tell if they were from sorrow or joy at this point. He sniffled loudly, bringing an arm to his face to wipe them away.

"Rhyme's memories was _my_ entry fee?" he muttered, bewildered. "Then… then what was hers, yo?" Beat raised his eyes to meet Neku's. He looked exhausted. Neku didn't blame him. After everything that had happened, everything they'd gone through to get Rhyme back… this was what he got? A slap in the heart?

Beat stared at the pin, and Neku stared at him. He was pale, still fading.

"... screw it. I don't got time to think about this kinda stuff!" Beat shouted, stuffing the pin into his pocket. He looked at Neku, grim and determined. "We's gotta keep pushing forward!" Neku blinked, taken aback, but he nodded in response.

"You got it." he smiled slightly. He was right. Now wasn't the time to waver- they had to steel their resolve, or they would never make it out of here. "Let's get moving." He had only taken one step when a small ding came from his pocket. Neku froze, looking down. "... Mail?"

Hesitantly, he pulled his phone from his pocket, flipping it open. The GM was dead, so who the hell would be texting him now?

"Wha'sit say?" Beat looked over his shoulder, and Neku squinted at it, but it didn't make the message any clearer. A garbled text of random numbers, letters, and symbols. The screen was glitching out in places, making it impossible to tell what order they were supposed to be in. He shook it a few times, opened and closed it, but it remained the same. "The hell? Is the Iron Bitch textin us from the afterlife?"

"This _is_ the afterlife…" Neku frowned, putting the phone away. "It's probably some sort of glitch. Maybe the O-Pins are causing a disruption in the frequency." It was a wild guess, it but was a better excuse than nothing.

"Whatever man. We don't got time for this, let's bounce. Beat began charging forward, glancing back at Neku with a renewed spark burning in his eyes. "You comin phones?" he called, bouncing in place. Neku nodded firmly, jogging after him.

They were so close. A tall, dark passage way stretched out before them. Neku couldn't tell where the walls stopped, upwards or forwards. They were infinite. Something heavy in his stomach told him that this was the last stretch- once they went in, there was no turning back. If these three weeks were Hell, then this was the deepest circle, the last horror they would face. A part of him knew he wasn't ready, and the other part knew he never would be. They had no choice though. Shiki, Rhyme, Joshua… this was about more than just him now. It was about more than all of them- this city, their home, the lives of everyone here were at stake, and they were the only ones with a chance of saving it.

"The Composer's gotta be up ahead." Beat said, gazing into the abyss. Neku wondered if it was gazing back, and Beat would even notice if it had. "This is it man. The ultimate showdown." he turned, offering a shaky grin, and in that moment Neku knew that he was just as uncertain as him. "You ready?" he asked. Neku smiled.

"As I'll ever be."

And so, without another word, they waded into the darkness before them.

* * *

x x x

"Yo, phones… is there s'posed to be fog in sewers?"

Neku had no idea how long they had been walking. It could have been hours, or it could have been a few seconds. His phone wasn't working anymore. Whatever glitch that text had sent him had consumed his screen. There was no way to tell the time.

"I don't think so… but this isn't really the sewer anymore." Neku muttered, making sure to keep Beat's figure in his line of sight.

The fog had started small, a cloud crawling low over the ground, but the farther they walked, the larger it grew. It billowed up and around them now, too thick to see much of anything. Beat kept reaching out, every few minutes, grabbing his arm or shoulder. At first Neku had grouched at him for being so clumsy, but by now he'd realized Beat was just trying to make sure he hadn't disappeared.

"This is weird man. Somethin's off." Beat mumbled.

"No shit." Neku sighed, looking at his hand. No timer, at least… Hesitantly, he scanned for Noise, letting his mind sync with the other plane, but he didn't see anything. They had already taken care of the Taboo, but there wasn't any normal Noise either. The space between the two grounds was vacant. The longer he gazed into it, the emptier it became, a gaping chasm in the center of the world…

Beat's hand grabbing at his jolted him back to the UG, and he looked at him wildly. It had only been a moment, but it had been enough to make him forget he wasn't alone. Beat wore his heart on his sleeves, and even the fog wasn't enough to conceal the worry in his eyes. Somehow Neku could tell that he knew, that the Noise Plane was empty. Its silence stretched into their world, filling the hall all around.

"The only thing we can do is keep going. it's a straight path, it's gotta go _somewhere._ " Neku said firmly. He began walking, speeding up the pace.

"Yeah. You's right." Beat agreed loudly, breaking into a jog. "Gotta keep on keepin on."

"Yeah." Neku jogged along with him.

"Yeah!"

"Yeah!"

"YEAH!"

"YEAH!" They echoed each other, voices bouncing back and forth, empowering them with each step. They were not alone. They were not alone.

They were not alone.

Their jog slowed suddenly, the fog too dense to even see each other. The last echoes of their shouting had faded, swallowed by the mist. All they heard was each others breathing. Neku walked slowly, cautious. That thought had slipped into his head so easily, it was almost natural, and yet there was something very wrong with that statement: they were not alone. With the reverberating shouts, it felt like they were back in the crowds of Scramble again, but that wasn't the feeling he had now. Now, it was silent. Just like the Noise Plane. Somehow that silence seemed to have its own presence, a near tangible form that was lingering just out of sight...

"Phones… I don't think we's alone." Beat said quietly. Neku nodded grimly, a little surprised. If Beat had noticed it too… it couldn't just be his imagination. "Y'think it's…?" his voice trailed off, but there was only one thing it could be. Neku nodded again, fists clenched at his sides.

"Yeah." he stared into the coiling fog, into a face he knew but could not see. "We're almost there."

After awhile, their steps fell into sync, impossible to distinguish from one another. Neku wondered if it was possible to walk forever. Could an endless hallway exist in the UG? Maybe it was somehow looped, transporting them back to the start once they reached a certain point. That would explain the fog- made it impossible to tell just where they were.

Not really thinking about it, he reached a hand out, making sure Beat was still there. His hand brushed through the air at his side, and he fumbled some more, trying to make contact. He stopped walking, and the quiet sound of shoes on concrete stopped too. Neku's stomach twisted. Shit.

"Beat?" he called, taking a few careful steps forward, hands outstretched. His arms disappeared into the clouds, hacked off at the elbows. He fumbled for the wall, trying to reorient himself, but no matter which direction he walked, he just kept going. So much for a straight line- they weren't even in a hall anymore! For all he knew, they'd been walking in circles… Swearing, he shouted for Beat again. And again.

"Beat! Where are you? Can you hear me?!" He was trying not to panic. No matter which way he went, he was blind- his chances of finding the wall were as good as his chances of falling off some ledge, so he just picked a random direction and started walking, calling for Beat all the while. His mind was racing, memories of what to do when you get lost playing over and over. He was supposed to stay where he was and wait, but that really didn't apply right now. What if Beat didn't come back this way? What if Beat was waiting for him?

 _What if Beat faded away and you just didn't notice?_

"Beat!" Neku shouted until his lungs ached. He had to be here somewhere. If he had faded then Neku would have faded by now too. They were Partners, Neku would have felt it, or _something._ Beat was fine, he had to be- Neku had to find him though, because he was probably making himself sick worrying about what had happened. Everything was going to be okay- they had each other. They weren't alone.

Neku's walk had gradually become a jog, and now, he realized, he was barreling through the fog. His heart was beating rapidly, the pounding in his head reminiscent of footsteps. He couldn't tell if there were ahead of him, or behind him, but they were overwhelming, louder and louder every second.

"I know you're there Mr. H!" he screamed, pressing his headphones down over his ears. He couldn't breathe. It didn't matter if he needed to or not, he _couldn't._ His music wouldn't play, he couldn't block this out. "Just come out, show yourself! There's no point in hiding!" He whirled blindly through the fog, so thick he felt like he was swimming. There was nothing there, nothing he could see, nothing he could hear. An endless silence, so heavy he could almost touch it…

Neku let out a loud, angry growl, pushing farther. Each step was a labor, the fog a wall pressing in from all sides. Why was this happening? Why?

He ran into something, and with a wild cry he leapt back, pins at the ready, but what he found was not the figure he had been expecting. He wasn't even sure if it could be considered a figure. The fog swirled slowly around it, distorting the silhouette as it hung there, motionless. This was it, the silence in a physical form. It glowed softly, and it was all Neku could do not to collapse in front of it. Every horrible thought he had ever had, ever moment of loneliness, or sorrow, of hatred- it all came flooding back, crashing on him like a tidal wave and dragging him down. The strange wisp embodied it, emanated it. Neku let out a sob.

It moved. His body went rigid, eyes wide, as it turned, fixing an eyeless face upon him. It spoke. Neku did not hear anything, and yet somehow he knew- it was talking. He had never experienced such a loud silence, a horrible buzz drilling into him, the vibrations of his body fizzling and struggling just to keep him alive. He was crying. He was so angry, so scared, and everything was falling apart right in front of him. He wasn't going to find Beat. He wouldn't save Shiki. He'd never see Joshua again. His friends were gone, and he was to blame.

The silence embraced Neku, and he did not stop it.


	2. 1- Field of Dreamless Soldiers

X X X

He woke up on the wet ground, grass tickling his face, and when he opened his eyes the fog was finally gone, replaced with a heavy mat of gray clouds. This was not the sewers, nor was it the Scramble. Had he lost the Game? Was this some sort of purgatory? Slowly, he sat up, his head swimming. Dead grass stretched out for miles, rolling hills littered with statues that looked strangely familiar…

Neku got to his feet, taking in his surroundings. The air was damp and cold, an unwelcome chill biting at his exposed arms. All around him was empty and barren, save for the statues. It had a mournful feeling to it. The air tasted stale.

 _Is this some sort of graveyard?_ he wondered, walking carefully around the nearest statue. It reminded him of one of those little statues he'd seen in the mountains, near shrines, except this one was easily twice his height. He placed a hand on it, the cold surface weathered and smooth. Lichen seemed to crawl over it, blurring any distinguishable features. Still, it had a nagging air of deja vu.

How the hell had he wound up here? Where was Beat? Mr. H? Where was… anything?

 _Am I at the final stage?_ He wasn't sure if this was fearful thinking or wishful. When he'd imagined CAT's lair, he'd envisioned something much more urban, modern and gritty. Nothing quite so… sad. There wasn't time to waste thinking about the decor though- this had to be one of the Composer's tricks. Neku was done screwing around. This ended here, and now.

"Alright Mr. H! I know you're behind all of this!" he cupped his hands around his mouth, shouting as loud as he could. There was hardly an echo- not enough for his voice to bounce back from. It just kept going and going, disappearing into the horizon. Neku waited for a minute, then two. There was no response. Once again the silence was swallowing him, crushing him down with its vastness. He could feel the creeping sense of panic, crawling through his skin like lichen. He clenched his fists.

"Hanekoma! Quit hiding and show yourself already! Where's Beat?!" There was still nothing, still no Timer on his hand… what the hell was going on? "Beat!" he called out, desperate.

" _Phones!"_

Neku's heart skipped a beat, and he let out a sound caught somewhere between a laugh and a sob.

"Beat?!" he cried again, whirling around- there, in the distance, three figures were waving, running towards him. Neku started to grin. He was ok. Even if this was some weird-ass purgatory, Beat was ok. Neku started to jog toward him. He hadn't realized how exhausted he was… these three weeks had taken a lot out of him. His body felt ready to collapse, but he pushed on.

"Neku!" a second voice, one he'd been waiting to hear for two weeks now, cried out, and Neku stumbled to a halt, too dumbstruck to keep moving.

"Shiki?" he murmured, a dangerous hopefulness in his voice, so soft he felt just breathing could shatter it. "Shiki?!" he shook, afraid this was just some dream, afraid of waking up.

"Neku!" There she was. Still in Eri's body, trouncing across the field, Mr. Mew waving like a banner in her hand. She was ok. Neku thought he might cry.

Ignoring his body's aching, he broke into a sprint, racing toward them. He had to get there- prove to himself they weren't a mirage. They wove carefully between the statues, making their way to him, huge smiles on their faces faltering suddenly as he dashed past another unplaceably familiar statue-

" _Neku!"_ Shiki screamed, her eyes wide with horror, her arm reaching out to him. The lichen grew thicker around him, and he looked back, expecting to see a hoard of Noise- but there was nothing. Nothing but statues.

It rammed into his side with amazing speed, throwing him to the ground. He rolled painfully through the grass, not coming to a stop until he hit another statue. The world was still spinning, pretty sure he was gonna puke up whatever he'd eaten yesterday, but he knew why the statues looked so familiar now. It was the Moyai, the teamwork egg thing he and Josh had expelled the Noise from. It was waddling toward him with startling speed, its face a horrific swirl of features that reminded him of a rabid dog- Hachiko, he realized, still stunned from the impact. Some unholy mix of Hachiko of the Moyai, like the two had mated and dumped their reject offspring here. Neku rubbed his eyes, just to make sure this was actually happening, but when he stopped it was still there, rolling forward to crush him. The saying 'caught between a rock and a hard place' flitted through his mind as he scrambled up onto all fours, trying to crawl away-

"Go, Mr. Mew!" Shiki shrieked, and just as the Moyachiko came crashing down against its brother, a little black bullet raced between. Somehow, some way, the plush cat cushioned the statue's collision, leaving just enough space between for Neku to crawl out. Neku sat there for a moment, staring dumbly. He'd been asking himself this a lot these past few weeks, but once again he had to wonder, _what the hell?!_

The sound of rocks grinding against each other grated in Neku's ears, and he scrabbled back a few paces, trying to get to his feet. The statue… it was still moving, crushing Mr. Mew beneath it as it rolled to him.

"Son of a-" Neku grabbed a pin, slicing at it with all his might. The light from the attack was blinding, but when it faded the rock didn't even have a crack in it. It kept coming.

"Aw no ya don't!" Beat leapt atop the statue, bringing his skateboard down with enough force the shake the ground, but even that didn't slow it down. Neku was finally on his feet, backing away quickly, mind racing. It wasn't Noise, not like when Hachiko had been possessed- the stone itself was moving, attacking them. That wasn't possible, as far as he knew- and it _definitely_ wasn't an illusion, his aching ribs would vouch for that.

Beat continued hammering at the rock, but it wasn't making a difference.

"Give it up, Daisukenojo!" Another voice, the third which had been silent until now, cried out, and Neku stopped dead. No. Not possible. There was no way, it couldn't be...

Beat rolled off of the Moyachiko, scrambling frantically across the grass. The air was heating up, a high keen like a cicada surrounding them, and Neku was knocked to the ground by Beat as a beam of light came smashing down over the statue. The beam he had only seen one person use. The last person he ever thought he would see again.

"Joshua?!" Neku fought his way out from Beat's grip, trying to get to his feet. There was no way, he was dead, obliterated beyond saving-

"Phones, chill!" Beat snagged his leg, and Neku took a dive, face smacking down into the dirt. He choked, spitting out grass, ready to kick Beat's head when he was dragged back again.

"What the fuck man-" he thrashed, and the light faded, the smell of smoke rising from the smoldering grass where the beam had come down. Neku fell still, realizing why Beat had pulled him away. The statue stood in the crater, unharmed. "You have got to be shitting me."

He and Beat tore off in different directions, circling back around to the other side of the rock. It wobbled dangerously fast, like one of those weeble toys, tottering with an egg-like menace. Mr. Mew was pummeling the thing the best it could, but if a friggin Jesus Bea wasn't enough to take it down, Neku doubted the doll could do much better.

"What the hell are these things?!" Neku screamed, falling against another Moyachiko. He let himself lean there, trying to catch his breath, until he felt the cold stone shifting against his skin, and his stomach did a perfect flip. The dog's body was rounded to the point that it should have been impossible for it to function, stout nubby paws serving as legs, its face a lopsided muzzle half-consumed by the Moyai's enormous lips. Soulless eyes without pupils somehow focused on him, a warped mouth frozen in a snarl aiming for his throat. It peeled itself up from its perch, crawling out of the ground. Dirt and moss fell from its underbelly, while the world froze for a second, Neku standing in awe and terror. The statue lunged.

It was damn quick thinking that saved him. The egg-dog behind him, and the first egg charging headlong at him, Neku sidestepped fast, rolling to the side before he could get squashed. The natural laws of the universe took over then, the statues unable to overcome their own velocity, and with a loud, sharp, _smack_ , they collided. Neku fell to the ground as the statues crumbled into shoddy piles, smaller rocks skittering through the grass. The dust cleared, and the piles remained motionless. Neku laid flat on his back, ready to pass out and never wake up again.

Two seconds after he'd closed his eyes, Beat was yanking him off the ground, crushing him in a bear hug.

"Phones! Fuck man, you disappeared on me! Don't _do_ that!" Beat set him back down, fixing his hat anxiously. His eyes were wavering, and he was reluctant to let go of Neku's shoulders.

"I'm sorry man. The fog got thick, and I couldn't find you anywhere. I thought… I thought maybe the Composer had grabbed you." Saying it out loud made it feel a lot heavier, and suddenly Neku found himself choking up too. "I'm glad you're alright."

"Like I'd let that old man get the jump on me!" Beat laughed, slapping Neku on the back. Neku grinned, punching Beat's shoulder.

Shiki cleared her throat, quiet but still enough to grab his attention, and Neku turned, guilt welling up in his stomach. For a moment, he just stared at her, his eyes trying to convince his mind that she was really there, not just some trick of the light. She teetered back and forth on her heels, the silence becoming awkward, until finally she stepped forward, hugging him hard. Neku did not hesitate to hug her back.

"You're okay?" he whispered, holding her tight. She was warm, laughing, but he could feel her tears landing on his shoulders.

"I'm okay." she nodded, pulling back to smile at him. "I don't know _how_ , but I am. I just sorta woke up in the sewers, and eventually I came out here and ran into Beat." she laughed, nervousness still present on her face. Neku nodded, still numb from the torrent of emotions. She was really okay. He pulled her back to him, hugging her tighter.

"I'm sorry, Shiki… I'm the reason you're here." he said quietly. He'd had all the time in the world to prepare for this moment, to spill the truth, but now that he was here he wasn't sure if he could do it. All of this was his fault. "The Conductor took you as my Entry Fee, for the second Game. You should have been able to go back home, but because of me… you were dragged into this whole mess." His eyes slid closed, taking a moment to prepare himself for her reaction. He was afraid. He woudn't blame her if she was mad at him- he'd put her life in danger, just because he'd lacked anything else of value. Because he'd been such a shitty person, the only thing he'd cared about was himself- with his memories already gone, the only thing he had left to give was her.

"I was your entry fee?" Shiki pulled back again, a slight pink in her cheeks. "Neku… I didn't realize you cared so much…"

"It's my fault, Shiki. I'm so sorry."

"No, don't be! I'm… I'm glad that I could give you a reason to keep fighting." she smiled shyly, eyes cast down, the fake Eri-clone gone, her real self showing through. "I'm sorry that you were so worried this whole time, though. I'm just really happy that we're all together again." she smiled warmly, looking from him to Beat, to the pin secured tightly on Beat's shirt, and Neku smiled back.

"Are the lovebirds done fawning over each other, or do you two need a room?" That smug, prissy, obnoxious little giggly of a voice called over to him, and slowly, Neku released Shiki from his embrace. He took a deep breath.

"J… Joshua?" Neku looked at him like he was seeing him for the first time. The boy stood there, fog curling around him like some apparition, that same intolerable smirk he'd worn all week spread across his face. Neku walked toward him, then stopped, hesitating. "H… How are you here?"

"I'm a surprisingly resilient young boy." Joshua said flippantly, still smirking. "What is it, Neku? You look like you've seen a ghost-"

Neku grabbed him by the shoulders, squeezing until he felt the muscles and bone beneath his skin, running the fabric of his shirt between his fingers. He as really there. He was real. Joshua had stopped talking, his voice evaporating at Neku's touch, an almost confused look on his face. Neku looked him up and down, once, twice, again, just taking him in.

"You… you were dead. You were _erased._ I saw… I saw it happen, Pi-Face killed you!" The volume of his voice began to rise, and Joshua's smirk returned, but there was something about it that seemed too forced. He reached a hand up to one of Neku's, trying to remove it from his arm, but Neku didn't let go.

"Yes, that is a thing that happened, isn't it…" he mused, trailing off. "There must have been a miscalculation on his part," he giggled, trying to tuck a loose curl behind his ear. There was something very off about his voice, his stance- he was shaken, like _he_ was the one who had seen a ghost. But he was here. He was Joshua, and he was here, and he was _alive._ "Sorry to have left you in the lurch like that, Partner, but desperate times call for-"

Neku wrapped his arms around Joshua, tight. He could almost feel it as Joshua's words caught in his throat, the surprise cutting off anything he was going to say. He tensed, seeming to bristle at Neku's touch.

"I'm sorry." Neku said, trying to keep his voice level. "I'm sorry that I blamed you. That I didn't trust you. I'm sorry that I didn't get to say that, before you… y'know." he pulled back, smiling awkwardly at Josh. "You saved me. And before, with Pi-Face… you were trying to keep me safe. But I… I blamed you. I-"

"Neku." Joshua stopped him, his face grave. It looked pale, paler than usual. Neku waited for him to continue, but he didn't. He looked like a deer caught in headlights. Neku swallowed, and finally he let go of Josh. He hadn't thought he'd ever get the chance to say this to him- even when Beat had promised to bring him back, there was still that doubt, that they wouldn't really make it… Neku had never had time to think about what would come of this conversation. About whether or not Josh would forgive him. What he would do if he didn't.

"Well… all's well that ends well, right?" Joshua giggled, twirling his hair once more, and Neku nearly crumpled with relief. He could hardly believe it, both Shiki and Joshua, back, alive. Without thinking, he hugged Josh again.

"Shit, guys, alright… Beat, Shiki, this is Josh- he was my Partner during the second week." Neku turned around, presenting Joshua to the others. He stepped aside to look at the three of them. Shiki beamed, Mr. Mew clutched to her chest. She took his little paw and made it wave.

"It's nice to meet you, Josh." she smiled warmly. "Thank you for taking care of Neku while I was gone. I'm sorry if he was ever a handful."

Joshua snorted as Neku's face went red.

"Shiki, shut up-" he tugged at his collar, trying to hide the color in his cheeks. Beat laughed, then ruffled Joshua's hair. Joshua stood there rigidly, accepting the gesture with that same deer-in-headlights face.

"Good t'see you's alright, priss!" Beat gave him a good thump on the back. Deer Josh looked at Beat and Shiki cautiously, glancing back and forth, unsure to respond. He looked to Neku from the corner of his eyes, as if asking what he should do next.

 _Please don't be a total dick to them…_ Neku pleaded silently. He had never seen Joshua look quite so uncomfortable. He couldn't imagine this being out of Josh's comfort zone- he'd been fine talking with Players in the city, and he'd been close to _polite_ when talking to the shop owners… since when was he afraid of meeting new people?

"It's… a pleasure to meet you both. I am Joshua." he spoke softly, a smile on his face so small it was all but invisible.

"So, uh, Phones… any idea where we is?" The pleasant atmosphere was broken, as Beat began looking around, confused and concerned.

"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." Joshua mused, prodding the rubble of the statue collision with his foot.

"Well duh, Priss. We were never in Kansas t'begin with," Beat scoffed, rolling his eyes.. Neku suppressed a snicker.

"Maybe we should look for a Reaper or something… if this is still a part of the Game, they might be able to give us a mission, or directions." Shiki offered, holding onto her arms self-consciously. "And, you know, avoid statues. I don't feel like being a pancake."

"Agreed." Neku nodded, looking to Beat and Josh for confirmation.

"Not like we got a lot else t'do." Beat shrugged, linking his arms lazily behind his head. Joshua had his hand to his face, a finger at his mouth, gazing thoughtfully into space. He glanced up, noticing Neku watching him, and nodded slowly.

"Hm? Yes, I agree. We might as well get a lay of the land." he nodded, flippant, only half there. Shiki and Beat started walking, Shiki linking an arm with Neku's. He let her, but he kept an eye on Josh, making sure he was paying enough attention to actually follow them. He did, but at a snail's pace, arms crossed and face pensive.

Shiki and Beat didn't know anything about Joshua, not really, so there was no way that they would realize how… odd, Joshua was acting. The lack of snarky comments, the distant look in his eyes, how easily things were throwing him off… it was very un-Joshlike.

 _Cut him some slack, he almost died._ Neku reminded himself. They were all dead, technically, but Joshua had come so close to erasure. Josh wasn't the kind of person to let others know he was shaken, but it looked like even he was having trouble hiding it.

"Alright you guys, time to fill me in on everything I missed!" Shiki nestled herself between Neku and Beat while they walked. "What's been happening?"

"Aw, man, you missed a _bunch_! Phones an' I've been tearin up the streets yo!"

* * *

X X X

They came across the inscription after walking for what felt like an hour. Had Joshua not been walking so slow, they may never have seen it.

"The Field of Dreamless Soldiers." Joshua read, running his hand over the carving in the stone. "How poetic." he smirked.

"It's something alright… but what does it mean?" Neku crossed his arms, brow furrowing. He tried scanning the area, but nothing came of it. There was no Noise Plane here. Hell, he wasn't even sure if they were in the RG or the UG. It was silent and still, void of life _or_ afterlife.

"Maybe the statues are the soldiers?" Shiki suggested, rubbing Mr. Mew's frayed paw between her fingers. "They did attack us."

"Considering how fast their reactions were, I think it's safe to say they weren't dreaming either." Joshua agreed, studying the statue grimly. His arms were rigid at his sides.

"That still don't explain why we're here." Beat grunted, scratching his head. "You think the Composer's behind this, Phones?"

Joshua's head snapped up, his daze broken. His face was blank, expressionless, but his eyes were glaring, sharp as a dagger. Neither Shiki nor Beat seemed to notice, but Neku sure did.

 _Does he know about Mr. H…?_ Not wasn't the time to ask, but… Josh had to have known, if he and Mr. H were as close as they'd seemed to be. Mr. H had told him about the Game, and since Josh had been able to see the UG, there was no way he wouldn't have figured it out- but, if that were true, then why was he trying to 'jack Shibuya'? Why would he try and kill his best friend?

"It's gotta be," Neku said, returning his attention to Beat. "I don't know if this is still part of the Game, or what, but this is definitely him."

"This sucks yo… no clues, no nuthin'. How's we supposed to find the guy if we don't even know where _we_ is?" xBeat kicked the closest soldier, hands shoved into his pockets.

"Maybe he don't have to find him." Shiki looked up, a spark of inspiration lighting up her eyes. "Maybe we can bring him to us."

* * *

X X X

If it had just been the two of them. Neku wasn't sure they'd have been able to handle it. Between the four of them though, the task was much more manageable.

"Comin at'ya Phones!" Beat bellowed as he rolled down a hill, heading straight for him. Neku charged, readying himself to leap at the last second. Just as they were about to crash headlong, Beat veered to the left, while Neku dove right, tucking himself into a ball and rolling to safety. Two unfortunate Moyachikos smashed in his wake, falling apart without ever having touched their targets. Beat whooped, skating back to Neku for a high five.

It was easy enough for them to pull off. As soon as to soldiers smashed, Neku and the others would find another pair to lead to each other- then _crack_ , they were goners. With no Reapers and no Noise, the only things to fight were the statues. They had no other visible enemies, and no clear goal- whether the Composer was expecting them to die trying to fight these things, or was hoping they would figure out a way to destroy them all, either way this was sure to get his attention.

"Get ready, Miss Misaki," Neku heard Joshua calling, and as he ran he spotted the two of them. Joshua was at the top of a small incline, a determined soldier climbing after him. Shiki sprinted up the hill with a surprising amount of grace, leaping once she reached the top. Neku watched as Joshua caught her by the arms, whirling sharply round, swinging her from harm's way, himself pulled along by her weight. The rocks hit, and Josh and Shiki tumbled down the hill to safety. Without another word they were up, brushing themselves off, and looking for their next victims.

Working together with so many people really had had its benefits, Neku decided, as he jogged through the carnage. He'd had to switch tactics and figure out how to sync up with three totally different people, and now he could easily click with any of them, swapping between charging head on with Beat, to playing defense for Joshua, and back-to-back with Shiki. It felt like he was in sync with all of them at once, an extra fluttering next to his heart that wasn't quite his own, and it was exhilerating. Each step, each twist and turn, he was a brand new person, a new combination.

Two by two, the soldiers fell, taking down their comrades blindly. Cuts and bruises had started to make themselves evident, scratches from the shrapnel. Neku had just barely managed to avoid getting smacked in the head by a couple of stray rocks. Little by little it seemed the statues were starting to dwindle in number. This was actually working!

Neku ducked around the piles where the statues had met, trying to figure out how many were left. All he could see were mounds of broken rock. He slowed, trying to catch his breath.

"I think we did it guys." he called, looking to the others. They had all stopped too, breathing rather heavily. Everywhere, clouds of dust were settling, showing nothing but the remnants of the fight. Beat held out his fist to Shiki, and she giggled, bumping it. They were all covered in a nice layer of grime, dirt and dust and sweat caking their clothes and skin. Fighting Noise had been a lot more vigorous than this, but it had been a lot cleaner, too.

He stretched, and the pile of rocks behind him tumbled apart,clattering against each other as they fell. Neku turned his head, and froze.

It had been in some sort of pit, obscured by the others. The remnants of the fallen had hidden it from sight, but they hadn't done the same for Neku. One last Moyachiko rose, snarling face fixed right on him, as what was left of its comrades crumbled around it. Neku breathed a curse. It moved forward. He ran.

No specific direction in mind, he tore off, looking around wildly. He thought he heard the others screaming and shouting, but over the sound of his own heart pounding, he couldn't be sure. There weren't any other statues, none at all. There had been an odd number, he thought, wincing as his foot landed at a strange angle. They should have tried smashing them three at a time- but how could they have thought of that? There were four of them, and they'd been working in twos for days. Neku was panting, breath hitching in his throat, as the soldier kept up the pace, coming after him like a steamroller.

The mounds of rocks didn't even slow it down. It just charged right through, blasting them aside like nothing. Neku's vision was blurring, physical exhaustion making it hard to see. He couldn't breathe. He didn't need to, but he couldn't get his body to stop trying. He had not come all this way to get smashed flat under a fucked up dog head statue!

He caught movement from the corner of his eye, and when he looked over he saw Joshua, motioning for him. Neku didn't think. He followed. His feet slid down the slick grass of the small hill, gliding after Josh, toward a lonely little statue half buried in the ground. Joshua was standing next to it, waving a hand in front of its eyes. It wiggled, like it was trying to push itself up, but it couldn't get out. It was stuck. Neku watched as Joshua climbed on top of it, taunting the fucking thing silently. Neku ran toward it, trying not to hyperventilate. The other statue was right at his heels. One wrong move and he was dead. His body felt like it was swaying, his feet threatening to lose their grip on the damp ground. Joshua was waiting, patient for once in his life, and finally, Neku leaped.

He rammed against Josh, knocking him from his perch just as it freed itself from the ground. They hit the ground, and Neku covered Josh quickly, wincing as the cloud of debris was released. He felt rocks raining down on his back, none of them big enough to do more than leave bruises, but damn, he felt them. Joshua struggled beneath him, forcing him to move, away from the wreckage. He rolled, collapsing on the ground, coughing and choking on air.

"Why did you _stand_ on it?" he gasped, shaking from exhaustion.

"Needed to make sure you had a good target.

"Good work." Neku panted, grinning shakily at Josh. His nerves were electric, his whole body seeming to crackle with energy. Joshua giggled.

"What did I tell you? Perfect picture of Moyai."

Neku laughed. His head felt light, fucking delirious, adrenaline still rushing through him. He'd never thought being dead could make someone feel so alive.

"Are you two okay?!" Shiki came sliding down the hill, sprinting toward them, with Beat close behind her. "Oh my god I thought you were gonna get crushed!" she stumbled over the leftovers of the collision, dropping to her knees to check them over. "Quick, how many fingers am I holding up?"

"We're fine, Shiki." Neku laughed, trying to sit up. His muscles protested, though, and he wound up staying there on the ground. "That's all of them... "

"So I guess we's just wait now?" Beat plopped down beside him, legs crossed. Shiki placed Mr. Mew upon Neku's chest, looking around the field anxiously.

"The Composer will have to show up sooner or later. There's nothing else for us to do here…" she murmured, playing with her hair. Neku managed to prop himself up on his elbows, wincing.

"The ball's in his court now. We need to prepare ourselves." The adrenaline was starting to fade, his tone more serious. His body felt like it was deflating, the sparks that had kept him going finally draining. God, he had never felt this tired in his life.

"Alright then, in that case, _you_ need to rest." Shiki said firmly, pushing him back down.

"What if the Composer shows up?!" he protested, but already he was struggling to keep his words straight. The ground, though hard and damp, seemed more and more inviting.

"Then we'll wake you up." Shiki replied. "We'll take shifts keeping watch. We can't fight if we're half asleep." Neku eyed her hard, but she didn't back down, arms crossed firmly. He sighed.

"Fine. I'll rest." he grumbled, rolling onto his side. He'd almost forgotten Mr. Mew, resting quietly atop him, and without really thinking about it, he hugged the little cat, comforted by its presence. Though he had no idea where they were, or even why they were all here, he was strangely at peace, knowing that he wasn't alone.

* * *

X X X

Joshua's dreams were formless and dark that night. He thought he hear Mr. H's voice a few times, but it would always slip away before he could confirm it, and then he would forget what he was looking for. It was like being in a fever, hot and restless but too tired and achey to move.

He hadn't slept like that in ages. He hadn't _slept_ in ages. He would go for weeks on end without rest, then collapse for a day or two to recharge. This time, though, he was out like a light, conked out hard in the grass with the others.

Dreams were the mind's way of processing knowledge, comprehending what was happening, but Joshua was at a loss, and so was his mind, it seemed. All night he was in and out of consciousness, half dreaming when he was awake, half watching while he was asleep. He'd agreed to stay up and keep watch of the fields, but he knew nothing was coming. They all were waiting for the Composer, but He was already here, and He knew about as much as they did.

This place was not Shibuya, but at the same time, it was. It was connected to it, tethered faintly, indistinctly, though he couldn't place his finger on how or where. There was no Music in this world- it was silent, empty, more vast than he had ever imagined a place could be. It was terrifying. And to make matters worse, he couldn't even try to process it without the proxy _staring_ at him, concern all but pouring from his eyes. It was incredible, how well everything had gone according to plan. Save for this tiny hiccup, of course, but he was working on that. Or trying to, at least. He should have been figuring things out now, while Neku and his other Partners were asleep, but he just couldn't keep himself awake.

The fields were eerie in the dark, and the light of his cell phone wasn't enough to comfort him. A mat of clouds still blanketed the sky, hiding any stars. It was too much like being caught between planes, suspended in an endless, dark space. He still didn't know how he'd got here. He wondered if Mr. H had made it back okay. He must have- he was an Angel, and they were much harder to erase than Composers.

 _He's probably relieved._

Sleep was the easy option, the only other being to lie awake and torment himself with the swirling mass of unknowns. As he'd laid down in the grass, back to the others, his body had not resisted. It was hard to tell the difference between wake and sleep though, when opening and closing his eyes made no difference. Everyone kept breathing quietly, squeaking and mumbling in their sleep, and Joshua wondered how things had gone so horribly off the rails.

This wasn't how it was supposed to be. It had already been too long since the Game had started, things had already gotten so tangled. Joshua prided himself on being able to calculate the numerous outcomes of any situation (and being kind of omniscient didn't hurt), but this was a wrench in his plans that he never could have anticipated. He didn't even know what _this_ was.

He was supposed to be in Shibuya. He was supposed to have his final showdown with the proxy. He was not supposed to be camping out in the middle of nowhere, with no idea how to even start rewriting his plans. He wasn't supposed to have to think anymore. It was just supposed to end.

He passed out for real at some point, the only memories from his dreams shadows moving across a dark landscape, nearly impossible to make out. Meaningless images played through his mind, lingering even after he opened his eyes to the breaking dawn. Dew saturated the grass, dampening his shirt. The mist made his morning vision even blurrier, the hills looking larger and closer in the dim light. He rubbed his eyes, groggy and confused. Sleep was supposed to make you feel better, so why did he always wake up even more tired than when he laid down?

Muscles popping quietly as he stretched out, Joshua rolled onto his other side, watching the other three sleep. Neku had that cat doll in a death grip, using it as a pillow. His face was peaceful though, not screwed up with anguish or frustration as it had been in the Game. He looked so innocent, so bright, when he wasn't angry. It was almost difficult to believe this was the same boy who would have killed his Partner during the first week.

The rocks around them cast faint shadows, strangely long for how early in the morning it was. Joshua yawned, looking out over the hills. His view was obscured by the statues. He wiggled forward a few inches, trying to see between them, and a cold, numbing sensation snaked down his spine.

The statues. They were standing again.


	3. 2- Silent City

Joshua couldn't quite place the feeling pooling in his stomach. This was beyond anything he had ever heard of, beyond even Taboo Noise. How in the world was this even _possible?_

All around them, in a claustrophobic ring, the statues stood guard. How they were standing, he hadn't the slightest- it looked like the chunks of rock had pulled themselves back together, random pieces piled on top of one another haphazardly. They were larger than before, multiple soldiers combined into monstrous behemoths, with more faces than Joshua cared to count. They stared in every direction. Eyes fixed on the horizon, on the ground, gazing right over their heads. Joshua's nails dug into his palms. If they so much as sat up, they would be buried alive.

Carefully, Joshua stretched his leg, prodding Neku with his foot. The proxy grunted, curling away from his touch. Joshua prodded again, more urgent.

"Not now... " Neku mumbled, snuggling his face against Misaki's cat doll. He looked so peaceful, Joshua almost felt bad when he pulled his foot back to kick Neku in the side. Neku jolted, startled, looking around in wild confusion. "What?!" he whispered loudly.

"Don't move." he hissed, and Neku paused, slowly turning his head to give Joshua a curious look. It only took a couple seconds for him to raise his gaze, and see exactly why he'd been woken up. The hazy, sleepy look faded from his eyes, his expression changing to that of despair.

"No… how…" he murmured, his words falling like feathers.

"Fair question." Joshua watched the soldiers grimly. Neku inched carefully toward his other Partners, shaking them awake gently, urging them to keep still.

"It looks like these weren't our targets after all." Joshua mused. There was a sick sort of humor in all of this, though he wasn't quite sure what it was. "In fact, it looks quite the opposite."

"No shit…" Bito breathed, shimmying hesitantly across the ground. "They look pissed."

"What are we supposed to do now?" Neku muttered, eying the statues with dull resentment. "If those weren't our targets, then what is?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Joshua shrugged, and boy, wasn't that the truth. He had been raking his mind since the moment he awoke here, prodded from unconsciousness by Misaki and Bito, but no matter how deep he dug, he could produce no hypotheses. This place was outside his realm of understanding, and these statues were a testament to that.

"Y'think smashin'em again would get us anywhere?" Bito whispered, watching them in fear.

"Crushed beneath the rubble, I'd guess." Joshua sighed, shaking his head.

"We can't just sit here forever." Neku growled, as though that weren't already obvious.

"If we move they'll kill us!" Misaki hissed. They were low on options. So low, that Joshua was wondering if it was possible to dip into the negatives. They couldn't fight, they couldn't run, and they couldn't very well strike up conversation and apologize for tricking the rocks into destroying themselves. The way the soldiers had encircled them showed they had some semblance of understanding, that they knew who had done this to them, but Joshua doubted they would respond if spoken to- and those flat, stony eyes did not look very forgiving. They did, however, look distracted.

"We might be able to avoid detection, if we crawl." Joshua measured the height of the statues' gazes in his mind, trying to find a good path where they could wriggle by without being spotted. "We would have to keep very low. If we can make it to the base of the hill, though, we would be in the clear." He wasn't sure where they would go from there, but like most things in life, he could cross that mine field when he got to it.

The others exchanged nervous glances. If he could read their minds, he was sure he would hear their nerves bouncing off each other, wondering if this was really worth it. It didn't take long for them to decide though. It wasn't like they had the luxury of choice.

Like army men, they crawled. Elbows digging into the damp grass, bodies wriggling like worms, they laid low, pressed flat against the ground. The shuffling of clothing and body parts was almost silent- even the sounds of breathing were hard to catch. It didn't take much for any of them to understand, even the slightest slip up would spell their demise. This wasn't like the Game- they had no timers, no need to think fast. Neku, Misaki, and Bito had spent the last few weeks constantly on their toes, no time to breathe, relying solely on instincts if they wanted to survive. Joshua had spent the last few decades doing the same.

It wasn't the same constant fight or flight that Players lived with, but when everyone under the sun wanted to usurp you, when every second the City was liable to collapse in on itself, hollowed out from the inside by the gnawing negativity of its citizens… Even sitting in the throne room by his lonesome, Joshua Kiryu rarely had time to fully think things through.

He was good at thinking fast. Making up plans on a whim, and readjusting as was necessary once he'd flown into action. Some saw him as calculative. Sanae tended to call it 'risk taking behavior'. Neither was wrong.

His foot hardly skimmed the surface of the statue, but it was enough. Joshua felt the chunk, perched precariously between two other pieces, as his leg slid across it, dislodging it. He inhaled, sharp, eyes closed in silent prayer. The chunk of the soldier's face hit the ground with a dull thud, dead eye staring at him. The statue started to shift, parts twisting like a rubix cube, _I found you_ written in the scattered pieces of its face.

It undulated like a wave, falling apart the moment it tried to move, and Joshua watched it numbly. The dismembered statue came undone, and he scrambled, trying to crawl to safety. It fell like dominos, knocking the other statues down, showing them where their prey had gone to. Joshua crawled faster.

Neku grabbed him by the collar, suddenly, and with a sharp yank, Josh was on his feet, stumbling after the others. The statue's collective weight slammed into the ground behind him, a resounding _thunk_ that made him jump. He ran, faster, not letting himself look back.

"Run!" Neku shouted to Bito, when the boy looked back, panic in his eyes.

"Run _where?!"_ Misaki cried, a very good question indeed, but one Neku did not have the answer to. Joshua's eyes swept over the horizon, but he saw nothing beyond the hills.

"Anywhere! Just don't stop moving!" Neku barked, quickening his step. He kept a hold on Joshua's wrist, dragging him along with a determination Joshua was unused to. It was strange, how much of a leader he had grown into, in such a short amount of time.

A chunk of stone pelted Joshua between the shoulder blades, and he let out a cry, more from surprise than pain. He glanced back, just for a second. A tidal wave of stone was in pursuit, the dust of the rubble billowing up to swallow the sky above them. He quickly returned his focus to where he was running, and as he did, he noticed the stones to their left and right were moving faster than the ones directly behind them. Faster, and closer. Joshua's stomach fell further.

"They're closing us in!" He shouted, forcing himself to pick up the pace. Neku looked at him, confused for just a second, before the realization dawned and more curses left his mouth.

"Move! Move, move, move, let's go!" He bellowed, dragging Joshua harder, urging Misaki and Bito with his words. It didn't matter how fast they went, though. Freed from their bulky forms, the Dreamless Soldiers were uninhibited, able to move faster than ever before. It would be less than a minute before they were surrounded once again.

It was then, like a bolt from the blue, Joshua spotted it. He veered to the left, dragging Neku along with him, expecting resistance and getting none.

"There!" He shouted, pointing toward what looked like a small shed. Shoddy and peeling, it was nestled in another hill, almost invisible in the fog and dust. The soldiers were still following the same path, trying to cut them off. It was now or never.

Neku picked up speed, suddenly, regaining the lead.

"Come on!" He cried, sprinting full throttle toward the opening. Misaki and Bito followed suit, matching his speed without much of a problem. Joshua struggled not to fall as Neku pulled him, the dead weight, along behind. His legs felt like jello, each wave of rocks threatening to throw him to the ground. This was the closest he'd ever been to witnessing an avalanche, and it was much scarier in person than it was on TV, he would give them that.

Upon closer inspection, the shed appeared to be more of a tunnel, or a covered bridge, its doorway open like a blackened maw, stretching deep into the hill. It was small though, much too small for the mass to follow, except perhaps one piece at a time. Sure, it might be able to filter after them- but for now, this was the best chance they had.

They stumbled into the darkness in a clump of bodies, legs tangling as they tried to find their way. The light behind them vanished quickly, and for a moment, Joshua feared it was because the rocks were already filling the space behind him. He didn't care to stop and check though, instead allowing himself to be pulled, as they all kept running, into the stretch of darkness.

The rumbling behind them fell to silence in only a minute. Still, they ran, not wanting to take any chances. The tunnel kept on going, no sign of the other side, and suddenly, Joshua was hit with the horrifying realization that this might not be a tunnel at all.

What if it was a dead end?

"Shit, it's dark as balls in here man!" Bito shouted, his voice bounding into the blackness. It rumbled, travelling onward, even after they had fallen quiet, staring after it. Joshua calmed, hoping the lack of echo meant there was no wall for them to crash into. Choice of words aside, Bito was not wrong. Joshua could not remember ever having experienced such darkness…

"How long have we been in here?" Misaki panted. Their sprint had slowed to a jog, the lack of noise behind them reassurance that the stones had given up their pursuit. "I can't… I can't see the entrance, or any exit… There aren't any lights."

"That's easily remedied." Joshua flipped open his phone, the pale light illuminating the space around them.

"Ah, look! There it is-" Misaki pointed up ahead, toward the small square of light at the end of the tunnel. Her arm extended into the darkness, and several dozen black arms extended back.

They sprouted from the walls, oily tendrils the same shade of darkness as the shadows around them. Joshua's stomach filled with bile just as Misaki began to scream, the tiny fingers making an audible _schlick_ sound as they brushed against her skin. She staggered backward, while Bito and Neku started to scream as well, the black arms dropping from the ceiling and curling up from the floor. Joshua felt them snaking up his leg, cold and wet as they slipped down his collar, touching his back, and then he was screaming too.

They ran. Stumbling toward the end of the tunnel, Joshua ground the arms beneath his shoes, but it was like running on eels, and in the struggle, he tripped, his phone scuttling across the ground and snapping shut. Just like that, the darkness swallowed them, and the light in the distance was no longer visible. As they all stumbled, trying to keep running, Joshua scrambled desperately for his phone, dreading the thought of it caught up in a mass of wriggling flesh, all while he was unable to see…

His hand found the phone in the dark, and then he stopped. The ground was just dirt now, perfectly dry. The walls, smooth wood. He stood, hesitant, but no limbs found him.

"Guys?" He called. "The arms…"

"They're gone." Neku said, his voice nothing more than a haggard breath. "What the _fuck_ was that?" He tried to snarl, but it came out faint and dry. "What the fuck is going _on?_ " It was impossible to see anything, so Joshua couldn't tell, but he couldn't help the feeling that Neku was asking him. Staring at him. Accusing him.

He couldn't be, of course, but Joshua still felt their eyes burning into him, even if only in his mind.

"Whatever they were, they're gone now. We know where the door is, so let's move." He shook off the panic, and pushed forward, brushing against their shoulders as he passed by. There wasn't enough time to waste waiting for this world to start making sense, not when all it wanted to do was kill them. Every second they stood still was a go ahead for this place, whatever it was, to devour them.

Silence and darkness stretched all around them, the only proof that he wasn't alone the collision with others, and the muffled apologies that followed. Minutes rolled by until Joshua lost track of time, and the door still wasn't any more visible. It was like they were in a vacuum. Closing his eyes didn't make a difference. Open or shut, there was nothing before him, and so there was everything. His mind filled the blackness with oily tendrils, perched just over their heads, whiskers lengths away from making contact with their skin. Watching without eyes. He imagined a great beast's maw, stretched open right in front of him, waiting for him to take one last fatal step. A crevice in the floor where he would fall into oblivion. Taboo Noise blending into the darkness.

The harsh blue light of a cell phone illuminated the walls once again, without warning, and he could feel his stomach turning somersaults as the walls revealed themselves to be nothing but limbs- long, writhing limbs.

"Turn off the fuckin' light!" Bito roared, but Joshua was already running, staring at the pinprick of light in the distance The door was back, and with each step it was a little bit closer. The walls were groping at them again, cold like dead flesh against his skin, and it took everything he had not to scream. The door was there. If they just ran, then they could make it.

The light went off again, and Josh tripped over nothing, jolted by the lack of opposing forces. The dirt, packed hard, stung his skin as he slid across the ground, wincing.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry-" Misaki was flustering, her voice threatening tears. "I… I wanted to see if they were attracted to the light."

"It's alright." Neku spoke gently, with all the understanding Joshua never thought he would see in this human being. Wasn't it less than a month ago that Neku would have left her for dead, for doing something like that? Not that Joshua could blame her, he'd been seconds from reaching for his own phone out of habit.

"There's no shame in being afraid of the dark." He said, brushing the dirt from his clothes. "And the light showed the doorway up ahead, anyway." If they ran, they could be free. Joshua honestly didn't care what was on the other side of this godforsaken tunnel, as long as it was _lit._

"Let's just… get outta here…" Beat muttered, the same discomfort in his voice that they all seemed to be feeling. Something about that made Josh relax, if only a little. It was comforting to know they were as terrified as he was.

 _They have an excuse, at least. They aren't demigods. You're just acting like a terrified teenager._

They ran. They ran for more minutes that felt like hours, until Joshua's body decided it was done, and he was trudging pathetically, nothing but more darkness greeting them up ahead.

"We aren't getting any closer." Misaki sounded as desperate as he felt. "Is it just me, or can we only see the door when the lights are on…?" She hesitated somewhat, her question lacking confidence.

"I noticed it too." Joshua smiled sourly, at no one in particular. "The doorway only appears when there's another source of light. That shouldn't be how it works, but it seems that the only way we can get out of here is if we can see." A grim silence followed this statement.

"But those things…" Bito shuddered.

"We just… we just gotta book it." Neku said firmly.

It was too dark to know, but Joshua could swear he heard everyone else nodding in unison. Though the thought of the mass of limbs filled him with dread, Joshua knew, the only way out was through that horrible mess.

"Alright then. On the count of three, we run." Joshua sighed, the grip on his phone tightening. Once again, he felt the others nodding. "One… two… three."

The square of light blinked back into existence, tantalizingly close, as webs of arms sprouted wildly from every surface, wrapping around their arms and legs even as they sprinted. Their touch was cold. Joshua felt like he was underwater, tearing through seaweed, trying to run against a wall of ocean with only the soft sand beneath his feet. The light was getting closer, but it flickered, growing dim whenever a hand would cover his phone screen. He tore away from the them best he could, forcing himself to move faster.

They were close. Each step brought them even closer. Joshua could not see what was on the other side, the light was blinding, but that alone was more promising than he could hope for.

Joshua watched as Misaki disappeared into it, followed by Bito, and finally Neku. He saw him turning his head, ever so slightly, just enough to glance back before he was engulfed by the white.

Briefly, Joshua remembered being swallowed by Minamimoto's flare, before leaping out into the light.

* * *

X x x

The grass tickled his bare skin as he rolled across the ground, too relieved to register the pain. He tumbled, coming to a stop once he'd crashed into the heap of the others.

"We made it…" Misaki was breathing heavily, one arm lying limp on the dusty ground, the other clutching her cat to her chest. Bito was panting as well, looking like he was trying very hard not to hyperventilate. Neku was doing the same.

"Is everyone okay?" He asked, looking at his Partners, then at Joshua.

"Yeah man… I'm cool… what about you, Phones?" Bito breathed. Neku nodded.

"That was the creepiest thing that I have ever lived through, and I have been through a _lot_ in the last week!" Misaki sat up, glowering in the direction of the tunnel. From here, it looked so innocuous, a tunnel through a hillside, a dirt path leading up to it. Joshua traced the path, his eyes winding along it until he could see where it came from.

"Look." He started to get to his feet, realizing how eager he must have seemed once he was already halfway up, too late to turn back. "There's a town. We've found civilization." He giggled slightly, but he did not feel relieved at all. Already he could tell, the silence of the statues' wasteland extended here. It extended farther than Joshua could reach- no Noise, no music, not a single vibration of life. Districts, always bound to a Composer, had their own song that they sung, since the beginning of time. This town, though distant, made no sound. Not even a single step in its direction, and already Joshua knew it was empty.

"Oh thank god…" Misaki got up as well, brushing the dirt from her clothes. "Okay, this is good! There must be Reapers there, or maybe other Players- we can ask them what's going on!" She grinned, though Joshua could hear a strain beneath her voice, a lack of confidence in her own words.

"You really think they're gonna help us?" Bito asked gruffly, sitting up, but not getting to his feet. "We ain't even Players any more, Shiki. We got no timers. And even if we did, we's just food for any Reapers we run into." He sounded sullen, defeated. Joshua felt himself nodding somewhat. He decided not to say that there were no Reapers here. He didn't need to explain why he knew it.

Bito reached his hand into one of his pockets, and kept it there for a minute, his muscles tensing as he squeezed something. Then, just like that, his demeanor changed, and he rose to his feet.

"Screw it! We ain't gonna know if we just sit around, right? Might as well go in there and see what we can find!" He shouted, a sudden determination burning through him. Misaki looked relieved, holding onto her cat's paws. Neku was smiling through his exhaustion.

"That's right… We won't know if we don't try." He turned toward Joshua, as if to get his opinion on the matter. Joshua offered a small smirk, shrugging.

"Anything to take our minds off the little horror session back there. I'd say it's worth a shot." He lied through his teeth, and Neku's smile seemed a bit less tired, as his three Partners stood around him, ready to walk into the great unknown with him.

About two weeks ago Josh would have found it funny, if not deeply ironic, just how clueless Neku really was. Now, it was just a bit sad. Maybe it was because he was in the same boat, but Joshua didn't think that was the case. He still had more awareness than the others, more knowledge of the circumstances that would allow him to hypothesize what had gotten them into this situation. No, the reason for this melancholy feeling, he thought, was that Neku was taking things with more stride than he ever had before. He was walking in with an open mind, making sure that others were okay, being mature and responsible…

He wasn't shutting down, taking things onto himself and charging through on his own. Relationships with his Partners had always been someone tenuous, but now he was actively making the effort to be in sync with them. It wasn't exactly what Joshua had been anticipating, and seeing it like this…

He'd been aware of the changes during their week together. He had seen them starting to form, sprouting and growing into something Joshua could not predict. It had set him on edge. He'd taken advantage of the changes in his plan, and gone a different route, one that would let these new thoughts grow, so that Joshua could cleave them when he returned. But things had changed yet again.

Not for the first time, he was struck with an intrusive thought, the desire to suddenly lay everything out, and tell Neku exactly what he knew. It wasn't a desire to be honest and come clean, though. It was more a desire to be caught. For what reason, he didn't know, but as he usually did, he stuffed it back down, and just kept walking.

It was painful to watch, the Proxy so sure he understood the story, unaware that he was reading the wrong script. If his own copy hadn't been torn apart by this sudden departure, Joshua might have even shared it, if he thought it would bring some light to the situation. But alas. Neku thought he knew what was happening. He thought he had it all figured out- the Composer was the villain of this tale, the one pulling all the strings, and Joshua had been all ready to deliver the plot twist and bring the story to a grinding halt- but the plot had twisted in a different direction, and the big reveal wasn't the one the heroes needed to hear. It wouldn't clear anything up, only create new questions, muddle things even further.

The dirt path led them down another hill, and the city grew closer, while Neku and Bito filled Misaki in on things that they thought they knew.

"I can't believe it…" She murmured, looking at Neku with a sadness in her eyes. "Mr. H was the Composer this whole time? But… He saved me."

"I didn't want to believe it either, but everything that's happened… it's all added up." Neku said, his voice soft. His expression was firm, though.

"But _why?_ " Misaki held her cat closer, and it looked like it was suffocating. "I mean, what would he have to gain from it? And what does it have to do with that Minamimoto guy you were talking about?"

"I don't know. That's what we've been trying to figure out." Neku's gaze fell away from Shiki, his mouth tucked beneath his collar. Up close, the city looked abandoned. It was like an image from a history book, small houses with faded wood and empty windows, no glass to protect them from the elements. The conversation began to fade, dying down until it was only their shoes crunching in the gravel, and then they came to a halt, staring into the desolate city.

"Yo… S'just me, or does this place look like a ghost town?" Bito scratched his head, glancing around anxiously.

"It certainly looks that way, doesn't it." Joshua frowned. A ghost town indeed, but oddly enough, no ghosts. Iron gates ran along the roads, too high to scale. Behind the, old-style houses stood desolate, watching sorrowfully through broken windows.

"Not picking up any Noise..." Neku sighed, taking his headphones off. He let them rest around his neck, no point in wearing them when there was nothing to block out. In all Joshua's life, he hadn't know of a world without Noise. The things it implied were rather unnerving. Noise was a natural byproduct of living things- if it wasn't there, then…

It didn't look like anything had happened here to leave such a place abandoned. The damage to the buildings was a product of time, it seemed, not disaster. Dying vines still clinging to the sides of dirty walls, dried brown grass and shriveled weeds lying weakly between the bars of fences and the cracks in the sidewalks. The streets, similarly filled with cracks from years of weather and no repaving, were wide, and Joshua found the curves and turns they took to be familiar, if not in appearance then to his body's own internal compass. Before looking, he felt as though he knew which way to go, to get… somewhere. He wasn't sure where they were headed, or what they were looking for, but his feet continued carrying him, as though a gps inside him had locked on some distant target without him knowing.

They walked by a faded street sign, the paint long ago washed away by rain, and faded by sun. Every sign they passed was like it. Washed out. Faded away. A blank outline of the past, its contents forgotten now. The whole city seemed like that. Streets void of vehicles, houses void of people. Their footsteps echoed, bounding back at them, but even then, it was painfully quiet. It was like everyone had simultaneously decided to hop in their cars and drive away, never to return.

"Was this town here the whole time?" Misaki asked. She had been looking a bit uneasy for awhile now, but it was becoming more obvious, as they walked deeper into the silent city. "Because I'm pretty sure we would have been able to see it from the hills, even with the fog. But we didn't. And since that tunnel was so weird… maybe this is a totally different place than where we just were. Like, a different world."

"At this point, I'm willing to accept anything." Neku replied, gazing at a broken street light. It was old. The kind you had to light with a flame. At some point the glass that protected the inside had shattered, too old to withstand the outside pressures anymore.

They looked in the standard places one would find Reapers. In alleys, on street corners, by small, out of the way shops. They found nothing though, alive or dead. Not a rat, or a pigeon, or even an ant crawling along the sidewalk. What Joshua would have given to hear even the keen of a mosquito was nearly unmeasurable at this point. He didn't care for bugs much, but he would have been happy to see a spider right about now. But there was nothing. Not even a breeze. The whole city was still, a diorama of a memory, sealed away from any signs of life.

Then he heard it.

A sound.

The softest, most distant plink, of a piano key.

Joshua's head snapped in the direction of the noise, stopping dead in his tracks. Had he imagined it? Were his ears playing tricks on him? Was it some sort of auditory hallucination? A moment passed, and then he heard another _plink_ , one note higher than before. Then another, one note higher. It repeated itself. Someone was playing the piano.

He looked to the others, to see if they had heard it, but they were still walking, not having noticed that he had stopped. Joshua frowned, and listened again, wanting to be certain he hadn't been mistaken. But the sound persisted. It was soft, the most delicate whisper in his ear, but it was there- a song. A familiar song, he thought, but he could not recall the name. Not that it mattered.

"I hear something." He called to the others, and they all stopped, turning toward him, utterly silent. They were training their ears, he could tell, trying to hear it too. It continued softly, and Joshua began to walk toward it, winding his way carefully down the streets. Though he was following his ears, his feet had taken control, walking along the sidewalk like he had walked it a hundred times. And the piano, it just happened to be in the same direction.

"Joshua, wait up!" Neku called, jogging after him. Joshua did not wait, though, walking at a slow enough pace that it wouldn't take much for Neku and the others to catch up. Winding along the bars of black, he turned, the music getting louder. It was a nostalgic tune, something he had heard as a child perhaps. A very simple song, too.

Over a flat roof, Joshua could see it- a steeple, pointing accusingly at the gray skies. Joshua tripped over a crack, stumbling a couple of feet, before righting himself back up. When he did, the music had stopped.

"What did you hear, Josh?" Neku asked, coming up alongside him. Joshua frowned, staring at the tall building.

"I heard a piano. It was very faint, but I heard it." He wasn't sure why he needed to repeat that. Perhaps it was the strangeness of everything, making him feel like he had to convince himself that his senses weren't lying to him, but Joshua already knew he had heard it. He didn't need to reassure himself. He shouldn't have needed to convince the others, either. Did it matter if they believed him or not, though? _No one ever believed the things you saw or heard anyway, so what difference does it make now?_

"Are you sure?" Misaki frowned back, but she looked almost hopeful. "Maybe… it was a Reaper?"

"Maybe they was tryna lure us to them." Bito stared at the steeple, fists clenched.

"I didn't hear anything… are you sure it was coming from over here, Josh?" Neku looked uncertain.

"Maybe if you weren't making yourself deaf with those headphones every day, you would have heard it." Joshua replied, not even thinking about it. Neku's eyes narrowed slightly, and Josh could tell what he was thinking without needing to read his mind- 'so it looks like you haven't changed much after all'. He pressed forward, hearing the other's footsteps following behind, as he rounded another street corner to come face to face with the church building.

Iron gates, like Reaper wings, curled up toward the sky, a foreboding welcome to any scene. Joshua's eyes traced the dusty structure, paying more attention to them than what they were meant to be guarding. He'd always thought that Reapers' wings looked like iron gates, but this, this was ridiculous- the ornate curves, the perfectly spiked tips… it seemed like, at any second, they might both split in two and flutter away, carrying the stone walls off with them.

Without thinking, Joshua touched it. He ran his hand along the cold metal, the dirt and dust smearing onto his hand as he stroked it. It swung open with ease, the only sign of resistance a hellish creaking sound, age not a friend.

"Woah…" Neku murmured, staring into the overgrown lot. A statue of an angel, once bronze, stood in the center of a cobbled walkway, dying weeds clotted around her robes. The grass was brown, growing up to their knees, consuming the benches that once lined the path. Joshua stared at the door of the church, big enough to swallow masses. The building was old and faded, that was certain, but it was nowhere near the same state of disrepair as the rest of the city was.

He'd been here before.

"You think this is where we're supposed to go?" Neku asked, his voice distant despite how close he stood. Misaki began to say something, about how the church looked much less dilapidated than anywhere else, so it must be worth a shot, but Joshua was not really listening, instead walking up the old stone path toward the entrance.

He'd been here before. It had looked different, more modern, but the angel in the pathway, those too-tall doors… he had been to this church before. Many times, shuttled off on the bus after school, he had walked this path, stood before the doors and stared. He'd always been afraid of the winged gate, scared that this place was where the Reapers might be. All the more reason for him to come though, right? _You have to face your fears, Joshua, and learn the difference between what's real and what's not._

"Woah, Josh!" Someone grabbed his arm, and Joshua tensed, whirling around with his cellphone drawn. The Proxy stepped back, startled by the display, raising his hands in a sign of innocence. "Hey, chill…" Neku breathed. Joshua pocketed his phone, trying to ignore the feeling of embarrassment.

"Apologies. What is it?" He asked, glancing back toward the others. They were following close behind, but had the same looks of concern on their faces. Joshua stared a little longer than he should have, uncertain why they were looking at him like that.

"Uh… You just kinda started wandering off." Neku said, his body language awkward. His hands hung by his sides, a few fingers hanging onto his pocket, like he wasn't quite sure what to do with them. "We need to stick together."

Joshua blinked. Neku sounded serious. More serious than usual. He nodded, trying to shake himself from the daze.

"Of course. Yes, this would be an unfortunate place to get separated. I just… got a bit distracted." Joshua frowned, feeling his gaze being pulled back toward the church, almost unwillingly. He sighed. "This place… it's not normal."

"No shit." Bito grunted, crossing his arms and glaring up at the doors. "But I'm guessin' that just means we's gotta check it out."

"Seems we're in agreement there." Joshua nodded. It was strange, he thought, that even though he was so much taller than the last time he had been here, the doors still seemed so huge. With a deep breath, he pushed them open.

There was no unsettling creak, no eerie sigh as stale air left the building. The doors swung open silently, and an empty room welcomed them. Disappointed by the lack of fanfare, Joshua stepped in, the slap of his soles echoing back from every corner of the room. He wasn't sure what he had expected, but the gloomy, abandoned grey had not been it.

Joshua walked toward the rows of pews, aged and dusty, staring toward an empty podium. Behind it, he could see an old piano. Not an organ, just a regular piano. Its keys faced where the audience would sit, leaving its player to stare at themselves in the large mirror set into the wall behind it. What a strange layout, Joshua thought, running his hand along a pew, gathering more dust.

"A church… this is kind of ironic, huh." Misaki said quietly, trying to force a giggle, but falling flat. "I mean… I don't think any of us are Christian, but…" She trailed off. "Sorry. I don't know where I was going with that…"

"No, it is strange. Being sent to a place of prayer during a Game where you're playing for your life… it's a bit taunting, don't you think?" Joshua chuckled softly. Exactly the sort of thing he would have a Player do, but he wasn't the one in charge here.

 _And why_ here _of all places?_ Joshua wondered idly, staring at the faded walls. Colored light, though faint, filtered through the dusty windows, painting shapes along the floor. It wasn't that odd, really, when he thought about it, that this was the place they'd been sent. There was only one church in Shibuya, after all. _Which would mean this_ is _Shibuya, in some form._ He walked through the aisle, trying to get closer to the stained glass.

He'd had his suspicions, while walking down the street, but it had been hard to tell. Shibuya looked a lot like a lot of other places, back in its days of youth. And this place, it was broken down and abandoned, a regular ghost town. It would be very hard to tell it apart from another district in Tokyo. This Church, though, it cemented what he'd already been thinking- this was old Shibuya. A recreation of it, surely, but the similarities in the layout were too uncanny for it to be a coincidence…

 _So why? And how, for that matter?_ Joshua gazed up at the window, trying to make out the image. The grime was thick, but he could still make out the pale shapes in the red glass. A figure, featureless and white, stood stark against the background. It was a very simple design, but something about it felt unsettling. The figure was small, like a child, but it looked more like a paper doll than a person- no face, no clothing, just a blank shape, representative of a human.

The next one was similar in color scheme, the white figure appearing once again, this time surrounded by other dolls. They were black though. Joshua wondered if they had been fashioned from the lines that held the panes in place, or if they were just stained black. They were larger than the white figure, with black lines like those that represented halos in the drawings of angels, and they stood in a tight circle, dwarfing the child as they surrounded it.

This didn't seem to have anything to do with Jesus. Joshua had not been the most studious in Sunday School, but he wasn't ignorant. These windows were too simplistic, too vague in what they were trying to portray. It didn't feel like something that belonged inside a church.

Joshua continued walking along the wall, studying the images carefully. Each one had that same white figure- slightly larger in each window, as if it were growing older. One showed it standing before another white doll, thin and tall, with the standard glowing halo and wings. The next one showed the child surrounded by other figures of similar sizes, but instead of being filled in black or white… they were empty. Plain, clear glass had been used. With the dust inside and the clouds outside, they were a dull gray, a grimy contrast to the white figure.

The fourth window just had the white doll against the red panes. There was a small circle right in the center of its head, where the red was showing through. Joshua stared at it, standing just beneath, bathed in the red glow. The glass was such a dark, rich color- unlike anything that would really have existed in the Tokyo Baptist Church. The figure, too small to be anything but a child, stared down with its single red hole. There wasn't anything else it could be, Joshua thought, his hand creeping hesitantly to his mouth, the place where the hole would have been located on his own body. It wasn't just an open mouth. It was too small. He wasn't sure why he knew that. He just… felt it. Felt it burning in the back of his throat, like it was still there, after all these years.

Slowly, he walked to the last window, letting the red light cover him once again. He could hear the others in the background, all poking around on their own, their eyes no longer glued to him with their needless concern. The white figure now had its own halo, its own white wings, stretching up toward the peak of the window. Beneath it, the black figured stood, now looking more like ants in comparison.

There was something in the back, though, that he couldn't quite place. A darkened line, too purposeful to just be grime, stained across the red. Joshua squinted, trying to get a good look at it. It was almost like an audio readout, or the lines signifying a heartbeat, but there were too many sharp drops, too many brief flatlines.

Josh started climbing onto one of the pews, wanting to get closer. The outline, it was familiar. It was something he had seen before, he just couldn't place it. Teetering on the thin wooden back of the pew, Joshua reached toward the window, trying to wipe some of the dust away…

His brain went blank. It was just for a second, maybe less than that. But in that brief moment, his mind emptied, and all he could see was white. The window was broken, and he was on the ground, thick panes of glass crashing against the floor and shattering. He didn't understand. Why the glass could break so easily, if it was so thick, so heavy. It broke into little pieces, all around him, the little white angel's head shattering apart, its wings ruined. The skyline behind it was in pieces now too, indecipherable- but Joshua finally recognized it for what it was, now. A skyline, the backdrop of a city.

"Joshua!" The Proxy was rushing up with the others, once again, and Joshua looked up, too numb to feel embarrassed or enraged. He stood up, brushing himself off, smearing blood from small cuts up and down his arms. "Holy shit, are you alright?" Neku asked, confused concern quickly giving way to frustration. "What the hell were you trying to do?"

Joshua shrugged.

"I wanted a better look at the window." He said plainly. Neku stared at him. He seemed to be waiting for a follow up, maybe a punchline to a joke. Joshua just shrugged again, then looked at the myriad of shattered glass. How strange. It looked like a skyline too…

"For fuck's sake, you can't just wander off and go touching stuff! What if we get attacked?!" Neku looked very impatient, and Joshua was trying very hard to care.

"I don't think the Partner system is in play right now, Neku." Joshua said calmly, wiping off a rather thick bead of blood. "Otherwise you would have three Partners right now, and I'm fairly certain that's against the rules."

"That isn't what I mean, Josh." Neku growled. Josh raised an eyebrow, smirking.

"Don't worry, Neku, I'll be careful. Besides, as unnatural as this place is, I don't think we're going to get attacked by any statues here."

"There could be Noise…" Neku said, but then paused, a very strange look on his face. Joshua frowned. Then he heard it.

Static. Soft, dull, almost not even there at all. Slowly, their heads turned about, trying to discern the source of the sound. It was so faint, it was hard to say- until they had all gone silent and focused, it had been too easy to dismiss it as basic white noise. But that was essentially what Noise _was_ \- the background vibrations of life, a living soul that wasn't ready to give up form.

The piano seemed to beckon to him, and as they spread out wordlessly, searching for the sound, Josh went to it. It had been a long time since he'd played one. It was strange, because from what he could recall, the church in Shibuya hadn't had a piano- they had had an organ. This piano reminded him more of the one that had been in his home. They all looked similar, though, and for all he knew, it could be the one Sanae kept in the attic space above the WildKat.

Walking toward it, the static became more distinct, and he winced a bit. There was a dull ache in his head, a brightness around the corners of his vision. What on earth was happening to him? Why was he having such a difficult time pulling himself together? Not being in Shibuya was not an excuse- he needed to be on top of things. No more zoning out, or pacing leisurely down memory lane. This was not the Game in the traditional sense, but if there was Noise, they could eliminate it. It was a clear goal with a clear ending, and if they were lucky, it would reveal another objective.

The mirror was buzzing. Joshua stepped past the piano, and the static grew louder, clearer. It reminded him of bees, or maybe an electric fan, struggling to rotate. His head was starting to throb- a slow, steady beating, like wings smacking against his skull, again and again, slowly covering his vision. He pushed through it, standing in front of the mirror, staring hard. Joshua ran his hand over the glass, wiping yet more dust away. He wasn't smiling. He could feel his face, relaxed, a line of a frown. He only thought of this because for a brief second, before the static got loud enough to blow out his eardrums, he could have sworn he saw the boy in the mirror smirk at him.

Joshua covered his face as the mirror exploded outward, a cacophony of shrieking accompanying the sound of glass hitting the ground. He fell backward, all too aware as a set of cold talons wrapped around his hand and dug in, wrenching his phone from his fingers.

"No-!" He shouted, twisting himself around, trying to keep his grip on it. The bird Noise beat its wings harder, rising up, and shooting into the beams, the little orange cellphone in its claws. Joshua cursed as he hit the stairs, tumbling down to the ground.

The other two had already swarmed the others, snatching whatever pins they could.

"Not this shit again!" Neku groaned, as Joshua pushed himself up,staring at the birds as they circled the highest beam. It had taken his only method of fighting. Of course it had. This was just like his first mission, he thought, watching Neku lash at a bird with his fire pin, desperately trying to knock the others from its talons.

He'd done this before. Just like he'd come to the church so many times as a child, his parents last desperate resort to avoid the shame of taking their child to therapy, he had fought the bird Noise once, a long time ago. It had taken his phone, and he'd climbed up a street lamp after it.

 _Of course._ He sighed, eying the wooden pillar the birds were circling around. Everything just had to be a workout, didn't it? He'd told Neku he didn't do sweating, but it seemed the only thing he had done since he woke up here was run, jump, and sweat. It was as though these Noise had it out for him, personally.

Climbing up onto the pew closest to the beam, Joshua decided to pretend that he had any sort of upper body strength, and leapt onto the post, clinging to it as best he could. Planting his shoes against the wood, he dug his nails into it, trying to push himself up. Bito was currently in a game of tug-of-war with one of the birds, trying to smack it with his skateboard without the Noise carrying it away, and Misaki's cat was frantically trying to avoid getting snatched up as well, in between battering the bird every chance it got. Neku seemed to have gotten one of his pins back, but was still using fire to attack, channeling his frustration in the most effective way he could.

The Noise with Joshua's phone sat up in the rafters, preening its neon feathers when it wasn't glaring down at him. Joshua managed to shimmy up a bit higher. If he could just get to where the beams connected to the post, he could try to pull himself up, and then deal with the bird. That was the plan, anyway. This was a rather unusual interaction with Noise, though- they weren't in the Noise Plane, for one matter, and this Noise was not one he was familiar with. It appeared to be a decadraven, but its coloration was lighter, and its body larger than Joshua had ever observed before. The closer he got to it, the more intimidating its presence became. It made a strange sound, somewhere between a caw and the scream of static, and then, it lunged at him.

Instincts told him to drop down, and avoid the razor-like talons, feathers, and beak that the Noise had to offer, but instead, Joshua found himself reaching his hand out and grabbing onto the raven's leg. As soon as he had it in his grip, he let go of the beam, expecting his weight to drag the bird down with him. Instead, it stayed airborne, carrying Joshua along with it. It screeched, flapping its wings furiously, trying to slice at his arms with the bladed blue feathers atop its body, scratching at him with its free leg. Joshua squinted up at it, trying to grab his phone. It was his only weapon in this world, cut off from his powers. Without it, he had no chance of fighting back, or of even defending himself. He would _not_ rely solely on running away.

His fingers wrapped around his phone, trying to wrench it from the Noise's talons, buts the nails dug into his flesh, drawing more blood. It hurt. Pain, physical pain, wasn't something that Joshua felt often, but it was always something of a shock when he did. The Noise attacked him, nothing more than an animal defending its territory, its stolen treasure, scratching and piercing him to do so. Joshua didn't think as he reached up, grabbing at the bird's feathers and pulling, digging his nails right back. He swung his legs, throwing his weight back and forth, trying to pull it down, make it lose its momentum and fall. He was getting his phone back. It did not relent easily, though. It flapped its wings harder, tips of its blades slicing at his arms each time, trying to force him to release his own grip.

It was funny, that he would have to fight a familiar Noise in a familiar place. It had been such a long time ago, though, for both of them. Being sent to church by parents who weren't even Christian, out of a desperate belief that if might get their child to stop talking about whatever 'demons' he was seeing. Fighting tooth and nail in the Underground, with stakes just as high and almost the same as they were now. He couldn't remember if he'd done much better fighting that Noise before. There were differences now though, and obvious ones. Unlike before, he had enough power to decimate these nuisances- if he could just get his _damn phone._

Finally, Joshua had it between his hands, the claws no longer holding it hostage. He flipped it open, ready to dial in an attack, when the Noise veered to the ide at a frightening speed, slamming Joshua against the rafter. The wood dug into his side, and he felt himself bend a little farther than he should have, before his grip on the bird loosened. It yanked itself away, and then, Joshua fell. He curled up, covering his head with his arms, to lessen the pain when he hit the floor.

"I gotcha Priss!" Bito's voice called out, and before Joshua could even blink, he felt himself falling into someone's arms. Startled, he curled tighter, now afraid of being dropped- but Bito did not let that happen, holding him securely.

The Noise let out a scream, and Joshua opened his eyes just in time to see it swooping down toward them, wings and talons outstretched, tattoo-like beak sharpening as it flew at them like a spear. Bito cursed, but there was no time to turn and run. He curled himself up, trying to shield the both of them. Snapping out of it, Joshua whipped his phone back out, and dialed four, channeling as much power as he could into his phone and letting it blast out.

He felt the heat of the pillar of light, and heard the Noise shrieking in what might have been pain, before the blinding white faded, and the bird was no more. A long and heavy sigh escaped his body, and with it left the energy that had propelled him through battle, leaving him almost numb. Beat was breathing heavily, staring at where the Noise had been a moment ago.

"Nice save, Priss." He said, voice shaky with exhaustion. Carefully, he deposited Josh to the ground, not letting go until he was sure he had his balance.

"Nice catch." Joshua replied, nodding back. Though exhausted, he could feel relief washing over him as well. He had his phone back. Everything was in order now.

"Are you two alright?" Misaki asked. In her arms, her cat was torn in several places, cotton sticking out. Neku was stuffing his pins back in his pocket, scratches running down his arms. "Uhg… Poor Mr. Mew… Noise has never done that sort of damage to him before."

"Noise shouldn't have been able to attack us at all. We didn't even have to scan for it." Neku crossed his arms, staring at the broken mirror. It looked like there was a crawlspace behind it, or maybe some corridor into the back of the church. The static was gone though, and Joshua had a feeling there wasn't any more Noise lurking back there.

"This isn't fair… they can't just go and change the rules on us without explaining anything!" Misaki cried, stuffing her Psyche under her arm as she began to rummage through her bag, pulling out a small spool of white thread, and a little plastic box with a couple of sewing needles inside. She was prepared for any occasion, it seemed. "This is like, totally cheating, isn't it? Taking us to some new place, switching everything up? Just because Neku was winning…" She took a seat on a pew, and started trying to thread her needle. Her hands were shaking.

"Shiki?" Neku asked, worried but hesitant. Shiki continued trying to thread the needle for a few more seconds, before giving up.

"I can't believe that Mr. H would do something like this." Her voice was strained. "He helped us… he helped Beat and Rhyme… why would he do all that if he was just going to do _this?"_ She looked up at Neku as though he had an answer, and Joshua wondered how hard it was for Neku not to turn his gaze to him. Sanae's friend. The one who wanted to kill the Composer.

Joshua watched the two of them, sitting there in miserable silence, until Neku sat down beside her, attempting to comfort her. Beside him, Beat had his hand in his pocket again, holding something tight. Part of him wanted to say something. To defend Mr. H, if only to comfort them. But if he said anything kindly, that would only confuse things further. After all, why would he want to kill his friend?

Even if he did though, it wouldn't answer any questions. Because if not Sanae, then who? Who else would have the power to do something like this? But it made no sense for him to send them all someplace like this. If it were just Joshua, then perhaps, it would be some last ditch effort to keep him out of the way until he could deal with Megumi on his own. But sending Neku, Beat, and Misaki along with him? This place was dangerous. Sanae wouldn't have sent them here. Him, maybe, to teach him a lesson (and even then, Josh was skeptical), but not these Players, whom he had gone out of his way to help and guide.

"You should fix your Psyche, Ms. Misaki." Joshua said calmly. "I don't think it will be safe to stay here for long. If Noise can travel on the same plane as us, then it's best not to loiter in one place for too long."

"So much for the church being a sanctuary." Neku sighed. Misaki nodded, picking her needle back up again. Though her fingers still shook, she was able to thread the needle. Silent but diligent, she worked on her cat, sewing together the holes the Noise had torn. The Noise had damaged her Psyche, like it was nothing but a normal toy. Things here really were nothing like the Underground he knew.

While she worked, Joshua turned toward the mirror once more. Carefully, he picked his way across the shards of glass littering the floor. It was a miracle he hadn't been pierced by any of it… though, now, he realized he had quite a few scratches, both from the glass and the Noise. Most of it had fallen from the border of the mirror now, but some still cling to the frame, leaving a jagged hole that lead into the crawlspace. It was very faint, but Joshua could see a door at the end of it. That was a relief. No worrying about tendrils again, it seemed.

The glass crunched near him, and he looked up to see Neku standing by him, staring down at the silvery fragments on the floor.

"What's up, partner?" Joshua asked. Neku was quiet for a moment, long enough that Joshua wondered if he was going to ask something he would not want to answer.

"The past three weeks, every day I woke up thinking it was probably the weirdest day of my life. And now it just keeps on going." Neku finally sighed. "Is any of this making any sense to you?" He gave Josh a look, and Josh knew what he was hoping for. An explanation about Hanekoma, most likely. Neku wanted to talk about everything Josh knew, and Joshua certainly couldn't blame him, but he was grateful that so far, there had been little time to discuss anything other than how to stay alive. He hoped Misaki would finish fixing her plush soon.

"No. None if this is like anything I've ever seen." Joshua twirled his hair around his finger, gazing down at the glass. "This doesn't feel like the Game anymore. It doesn't seem like something the Composer would even be capable of."

"But if it isn't him, then who could it be?"

Joshua didn't bother to reply. There was no satisfactory answer here. Neku sighed. He kicked at the glass, then frowned, crouching down to carefully pick up a piece. Joshua watched him, unsure what he was trying to do.

"The glass…"

"What about it?" Joshua asked, before Neku held it up in front of both of them. Joshua stared through it for a few seconds, unsure what he was supposed to be seeing, before realizing that that was the problem. It wasn't reflecting anything.

Neku turned it in his hand, and Joshua's confused gaze flashed back at him from the shard.

"It's… A two way mirror…" Joshua murmured.

"The Noise were just… sitting back there. Watching us." Neku muttered, staring down the hall.

"What?" Misaki's voice sounded behind them, nearly startling them. "That's…"

"That's fuckin' _creepy_ man." Beat shook his head, having joined them once Misaki had finished with her cat. "But that don't sound like somethin' Noise would do… it just minds its own business, don't it? And Taboo Noise goes for ya the second it sees ya, it doesn't spy on people."

Joshua was still staring at the glass, something in his mind not wanting to work. He took it carefully from Neku's hands. Neku did not protest, but he watched him with a slight curiosity, as Misaki and Beat continued discussing the realisticity of Noise lying in wait. He squinted at his reflection, and saw that if he held it close enough, he could see through it. It was difficult, but not impossible, to see the silhouette of his hand through the mirror.

"We might have been able to see it back there, if we'd been paying attention." He mused. His mouth was dry. He hadn't really been paying attention, so maybe it was only his imagination. After all, if he couldn't make out the beating wings of the Noise through the mirror, how could he have seen one of them smile? Especially when they didn't have teeth to begin with.

"So… I guess we should go through the passageway?" Misaki asked hesitantly. Joshua looked up, gazing down the hall. Smaller than the path they had followed to get into the city, but shorter as well. There had been Noise in there, though, and it had to have come from somewhere- be it a secret slat in the wall, or something letting it in through the other door.

An uncomfortable feeling slithered down his spine. That Noise had been the only thing from the Game to be seen here so far, and beyond that, the only other moving objects they'd seen were nothing more than rocks. The thought that this world was empty had been concerning on its own, but the thought that is might not be was somehow worse.

"Yes. Let's go." He crunched over the glass, careful not to kick any up as he walked, lest it hit the others' bared legs. He paused before the opening for a moment, bracing himself for whatever might fling itself at him. How lovely it was that he could see the the lack of space between the walls. He wondered if this existed in the real church, or if it was another one of this world's artistic liberties.

Their footsteps echoed back at them from the other end, sound bouncing off the smooth walls, and from the empty chamber they were leaving behind. As they got closer, Joshua began to notice something on the walls. It looked like spray paint. Graffiti, but not just any kind- fat, distinct lines, a style Joshua would recognize anywhere. A strange feeling was welling in the pit of his stomach.

"This is CAT's art, man." Beat said, his voice uncharacteristically quiet.

Neku did not say anything, but he did not need to. Joshua could feel his silence, blanketing the others like a rug. Misaki was confused, but she didn't say anything. It wasn't the time. The graffiti was growing more frequent, a quilt along the wall, weaving into itself and covering any blank space it could find. The door was layered with words, so interwoven Joshua couldn't even read them. Atop the blackened mess, one word was written in red.

 _Gather._

Joshua pushed it open, and once again, squinted at the light. Bells rang out, tinkling gently against the door, as he stepped into the WildKat.


End file.
